West Ham accused of sexism by the boss of their OWN ladies football team
Chairman Stephen Hunt has lodged a complaint to the FA against the Premier League side
WEST HAM have been accused of discrimination, by the chairman of their own ladies team.
After months of wrangling with the club about supporting the ladies team, Stephen Hunt has filed a formal complaint accusing the Premier League side of breaking FA rules on discrimination.
West Ham Ladies play in the FA Women’s Premier League Southern division, the third tier in the Women’s game.
Hunt has accused the club of blocking his attempts to find a kit sponsor and had to but their own kit which itself has eaten into their tiny budget.
The team cannot afford a physio, have no bus to get to games and had to suffer the embarrassment of donning last season’s kit with the names of squad members from last year.
Hunt claims the club have reneged on the promise to fund team running costs and have to train on the roadside as the Hammers won’t let them use club facilities.
Hunt blasted "West Ham need to be fined until they start to act like a 21st century club. I think West Ham have breached the underlying objectives of the FA to promote equality and grassroots football at all levels.
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"Initially, what I thought was a lack of interest I now understand is a positive intent by senior people at West Ham to block the growth of West Ham Ladies. It's beyond negligence, it is trying to starve us of any sort of funding."
It's a far cry from the support given to Manchester City Women who are fully integrated into the Etihad campus and enjoy the same state of the art facilities used by Pep Guardiola's squad. The Women's team features England squad members Jill Scott, Lucy Bronze Toni Duggan and skipper Steph Houghton play their home games at the Academy stadium with a capacity of seven thousand.
The Hammers have defended their position claiming the Ladies team run by Hunt has not worked out and are currently under the process of taking the ladies team back under club control.
In a statement the Club said "The day-to-day management of West Ham United Ladies FC was transferred to a third party some time ago and unfortunately it is an arrangement that has simply not worked.
Mr Hunt has refused to align with West Ham's principles throughout his tenure as chairman and has, on a number of occasions, threatened the club.
West Ham added: "The club have been working for some time on plans to take West Ham United Ladies FC 'in house' and, in light of Mr Hunt's most recent deeply concerning comments, we will now be seeking to do so at the earliest opportunity.
"We will, of course, seek to maintain the current West Ham United Ladies FC squad personnel where possible, and provide them with the best possible support and management moving forward.
As a result of this, women's football at West Ham United will become bigger, better and stronger, as we continue our commitment to the growth and development of the women's game, both on and off the pitch."